
586 A CHAPTER ON FLIES. 
There are very few birds that carry more rubbish into the 
nest than the Athene; and even the Vultures are not much 
more filthy. I am satisfied that the Athene canicularia lays 
~- a larger number of eggs than is attributed to it in Dr. 
Brewer’s work. I have frequently seen, late in the season, 
six, seven or eight, young birds standing around the mouth 
of a burrow, isolated from others in such a manner that I 
could not suppose that they belonged to two or more fami- 
es. 

A CHAPTER ON FLIES. 
BY A. 8. PACKARD, JR. 

TuE subject of flies becomes of vast moment to a Pharaoh, 
whose ears are dinned with the buzz of myriad winged 
plagues, mingled with angry cries from malcontent and 
fly-pestered subjects ; or to the summer traveller in northern 
lands, where they oppose a stronger barrier to his explora- 
tions than the loftiest mountains or the broadest streams; 
to the African pioneer, whose cattle, his main dependence, 
are stung to death by the Tsetze fly; or the farmer whose 
eyes on the evening of a warm spring day, after a placid 
contemplation of his growing acres of wheat-blades, suddenly 
detects in dismay clouds of the Wheat-midge and Hessian- 
fly hovering over their swaying tops. The subject, indeed, 
has in such cases, a national importance, and a few wo 
regarding the main points in the habits of flies—how ve 
grow, how they do not grow (after assuming the wing 
state), and how they bite; for who has not endured the 
smart and sting of these dipterous Shylocks, that gash 
torment us out of our existence while taking their drop ° 
our heart’s blood— may be welcome to the readers of the 
NATURALIST. | é 
The Mosquito will be our first choice. As she leaps ° 
